or try http://www.efm.info which as of now covers all states except NT and TAS

Very interesting, just don't understand how it works just yet … We don't have a PPOR yet as we're overseas investors but this could be an interesting way for us to finance a PPOR and keep the interest tax deductible…??Apparently these guys still offer pre-1999 Trevisan Trust, but not sure how much they…[Read more]

Rodtrac, I'm with Banjo on this one. Assuming you're investing for the long term, hold on to property number 1 and use the positive cashflow to pay off your PPOR faster. In fact, look at ways you can increase the weekly rent of both properties by minor investments to the property (e.g. aircon or just simple painting, recarpeting).If you want to…[Read more]

We have several off-the-plan investments in our portfolio and they seem to be doing well, I paid 10% down and the properties have grown nicely in estimated value and sales prices so with a bit of luck I won't need to put in much more money at settlement (as overseas investors we pretty much limited to 80% LVR). If you can use a bank guarantee or…[Read more]

try typing this into google "mortgage sale site:www.realestate.com.au" and if you want just add in a suburb name or any other details you want before the site reference.Just now in google: "mortgagee sale" in realestate.com.au gives about 672 listings"motivated seller" in realestate.com.au gives about 404 listings

IF…. we are investors and not traders then we are in it for the long haul i.e. at least 1 if not multiple cycles. So assuming you can afford to hold your existing portfolio through the tough times, as investors we should be happy with a correction in the market as it provides good buying opportunities. I have two keen interests as a result:1 -…[Read more]

Duckster, Terry, 25North and Banjo thanks for your comments and insights, much appreciated.For now the plan will be to hold the properties and develop an optimal financing structure.

Badgers_R_Us wrote:
It's like paying Jamie Oliver a days wage to teach you how to cook an omelette!

Badger, this is a great example of you don't know what you don't know until someone tells you (maybe in a seminar!)… making an omelette is considered one of the hardest-to-do basic skills in cooking! Some top chefs have been known to use it as…[Read more]

Dfitz, I've got USD loans in place and very happy with less than 4% interest… but you have to either be a non resident and/or earn in a foreign currency to qualify:As a non resident you can often borrow in many of the major currencies (USD/JPY/GBP/EUR/HKD/SGD/CHF) but it varies by bank on whether you have to earn in that currency or not and some…[Read more]

Not necessarily a problem, just a major shift in technologies and economies… and that could be an opportunity for those who see it coming. Indeed, cheap and easy crude is gone and is being replaced by LNG, oil sands, oil shale, gas to liquids, coal to liquids, 2nd generation biofuels and other renewables. There are huge amounts of oil sand…[Read more]

Rudi,The market may well go down or crash… so the key question is, if you buy now can you and will you hold on to the property for 1 to 2 cycles. If so an intermitent stagnation or even a "crash" by 10% will do you no real harm as long as you can afford to hold the properties and you've bought properties with solid growth potential. Can you…[Read more]

Most of these services appartments seem to have a high yield but once to take into account your actual costs in terms of body corporates, management fees etc. the yield is usually not too impressive. Also many of these properties have limited capital growth potential and are often single purpose which limits your exit options in the future.

1. Stay (or move!) overseas and refinance any AUD loans to foreign currency (interest on USD loan now around 3% – 4%)2. Buy3. Call some of the other banks I use4. Get another job, or maybe finally start for myself5. Sell & Learn

IS,I can't disagree with previous entries that current imes are uncertain, but to say the market is flat is in my view too simplistic. There are niches in the market that have performed well and are bound to continue to perform well even in the next 12-24 months.The best comment I remember ever reading when I just got started was "It's not timing…[Read more]